Trauma-related stress
A quiet, non-verbal setting can offer space for calm and regulation alongside appropriate professional support.
The NADA Protocol
Acuroots Austin
A gentle five-point ear protocol offered as complementary support for calm, rest, resilience, and recovery.
A Quiet Practice
Five points. Time to settle.
The NADA protocol is a standardized form of auricular acupuncture. Five fine, sterile, single-use needles are gently placed at specific points on each outer ear. You then rest quietly while the points remain in place.
The same five points are used for everyone, so the experience does not require a diagnosis or a long conversation. It can be offered individually or in a group setting and is designed to complement—not replace—the medical, mental-health, or recovery care a person may already receive.
A Community-Care History
Rooted in accessible support.
The protocol grew from community-led work at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx during the early 1970s, when healthcare activists developed an accessible, non-pharmaceutical approach to support people affected by substance use and severe social stress.
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association was established in 1985 to standardize training and expand responsible use of the five-point protocol. It has since been used in behavioral-health, recovery, community-wellness, and disaster-relief settings.
Learn more from the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.
Why People Seek It
Support when the system feels overloaded.
The NADA protocol is used as complementary care. Research and individual experiences vary, and no particular outcome is guaranteed.
Sleep difficulty
People often seek the protocol when stress, restlessness, or agitation makes it difficult to settle and rest.
Substance-use recovery
The protocol has a long history as an adjunct within recovery programs, used alongside clinical care, counseling, and peer support.
An overwhelmed nervous system
The simple, low-demand format is intended to support a greater sense of quiet during periods of pressure or emotional overload.
Acuroots Austin
Begin with a conversation.
By appointment only. Session details are shared during a complimentary discovery call or by email.
Everything offered here is complementary, non-invasive care. It does not diagnose, treat, or cure any disease and is never a replacement for the care of your physician.